Grain grader and cleaning machine



July 19, 1932. SPENST I 1,868,121

GRAIN GRADER AND CLEANING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 1 lyrerfior Jacob 2590:781-

July 19, 1932. J spENsT 1,868,121

:GRAIN GRADER AND CLEANING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1929 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jacob 3pm y 1932- J. SPENST GRAIN GRADER AND CLEANING MACHINES Filed April 24, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES moon srnns'r, or names, nonrrn DLAKOTA GRAIN GRADER kN'D CLEANING MACHINE Application filed April 24,

The invention relates to improvements in grain graders and cleaning machines and an object of the invention is to provide a machine by the use of which grain can be effectively cleaned and graded, the machine having large capacity and doing the work effectively.

A further object of the inve'ntionis to provide a machine wherein the feed from the grain hopper is positive and wherein a plurality of adjustable pressure gates are associated with the fluted feed roller provided, each gate being free to move back independently from the roller to free a lump or obstruction so that a lumpencountering one gate will not affect the others.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine embodying a shoe suspended for lateral oscillating or vibratory movement and which is arranged so that the attendant can easily and quickly vary the number of oscillations occuring in any given time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe containing a gang of screens and wherein the construction is such that any or all of the screens can be easily and quickly removed and the screens of the gang can be simultaneously adjusted to vary the inclination thereof as and when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein a blast fan is provided to effect a blast of air upwardly through the gang of screens. 7

A further object is to provide a machine wherein the straw, lumps and the like large material is discharged from the machine prior to the grain being passed tothe gang of screens and also to provide means whereby one can easily vary the amount of falling grain passed over the final separating screenof the shoe and the amount of mixed grain returned to the hopper for recleaning.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a variable disc drive for oscillating the shoe and to arrange the parts so that the attendant by manipulating a hand lever can easily and quickly alter the number of shoe oscillations in any given time.

With the above more important objects/in 1929. Serial No. 357,816.

View, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts herelnafter more particularly described, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:--

F 1 is a front view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a rear view.

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view Figure 3. Y

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view at 55 Figure 4:. I

Fig. 6 is an end view of part of the machine showing the lever controlling the shift able disc.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view through one of the gates. 1

Fig. '8 is a vertical sectional view at 8-8 Figure 3. v

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The main frame of the machine embodie four similar corner legs 1 suitably connected by suitably positioned transverse and longitudinally extending beams which are utilizedto support various parts later described. On the upper part of the frame, I mount more or less centrally of the machine, a hopper 2 which has vertical end walls, a rearwardly and downwardly inclining bottom board 3 and a plurality of inclined adjustable gates 4: and an internal "agitating plate 5 which latter plate. has the rear end thereof fastened to the bottom board and the front end thereof overlying a longitudinally toothed or fluted roller 6 carried by an upper cross shaft 6' mounted in suitable bearings supported by the main frame.

The mixed grain to be cleaned is placed in the hopper and is fed by the gates and the plate 5 to the fluted roller and this roller which is driven controls the feedof the grain from the hopper and here it will be observed that asthe plate'5 is a spring plate and has the free edge thereof in contact with the flutings or teeth of the r.ol ler,'it is constantly agitated or vibrated so that the grain is effectively fed.

I have herein shownthree similar gates 4.

Each gate has the upper end connected pivotally by hinges 7 to the hopper body and the hopper body carries rotatably an adjusting shaft 8 located to the rear of the hinges and fitted at one end with an adjusting lever 9 which has the extending end thereof operating over an arcuate bar 10 secured to the hopper body and provided with a plurality of adjusting holes 11 adapted to receive a withdrawable pin '12. carried by the lever, the arrangement being such that one can adjust the position of the lever 9 by entering the pin in one or other of the holes 11.

The lever carries a plurality of downwardly, extending cranks 13, one for each gate, the cranks being fastened by set screws 14 to the said shaft. A coiled spring 15 is inserted between the lowerend of each shaft and the adjoining gate, the ends of the spring receiving studs 16 and 17 secured to the crank and the gate respectively. Obviously one can adjust the pressure exerted by the cranks on the gates by adjusting the lever 9. r I

By so yieldingly holding the gates in-position in regard to the fluted roller, the gates canmove away from the roller to permit foreign matter such as small stones and so forth to pass through and by having a num ber of gates, only that gate will move which is pressed by thepassing through obstruction.

Within the main frame, I mount a laterally oscillated shoe indicated generally by the reference numeral 18. The shoe presents a pair of opposing outer side boards 19 and 20 which are suitably connected by cross strips 21 and the width of the shoe is considerably less than the widthv of the frame so thatthe shoe can oscillate laterally within the frame. The shoe is suspended from the frame by similar. pairs of front and rear flexible hangers 22 and 23 and more or les centrally the side boards support two upwardly extending side bars 24 and 25.

These side bars support the rear end of the scalping screen frame 26 which has the rear end thereofunderlying the feed roller and the rear end is carried by the rear end of the shoe. The scalping screen frame presents the scalping screen 27 and an underlying inclined grainreceiving board 28, the front end of the grain board delivering to the uppermost of a gang. of screens carried by the shoe and the scalping screen delivering onto an inclined,

gravity operating, transversely extending.

chute 29 discharging to theside of the machine. The screen 27 is adapted to take off lumps, straw and so forth the grain going through and being caught by the board 28 and a cross plate 30 underlying the front end of the scalping screen and also the front end of the board 28. 7

Within the outer side boards 19 and 20. I locate a pair of opposing inner side boards 31 and. 32 which have their front ends pivotally connected to the outer side boards by axially aligned pivot bolts 33 and 34 and their front ends vertically slotted as indicated at 35 to admit an adjusting rod 36 passing between the rear ends of the outer side boards, the adjusting rod being provided with an enlarged head 37 at one end and screw threaded at the other to receive an adjusting nut 38. e

The inner sides .of the inner boards are provided with suitable space lengthwise extending guide slats 39 which support the screens 40, the screens being slidably passed into placebetween the slats from the rear end of the machine as will be readily understood. The uppermost screen has the front end. thereof underlying the palte 30 and all of said screens are parallel and inclined rearwardly.

According to the construction above described, it is'possible to easily and quickly remove any or all screens for repair, substitution or other purposes and also to simultaneously vary the inclinations of the screens according to the work in hand as it will be seen that one by releasing the thumb nut will relieve the end pressure of the inner side boards on the sides of the screens and as soon as this is done, any or all screens can be withdrawn and also that the undoing of the thumb nut permits the rear ends of the inner side boards to be raised or lowered, such boards swinging on the pivot bolts 33 and 34. Obviously by subsequently tightening up the nut 38, the outer side frames will be drawn inwardly and will jam the inner side frames tightly against the edges of the gang of screens carried thereby. 1

The lowerscreen of the gang discharges onto an inclined pan 41 carried by the lower part of the shoe and'this pan has the lower inner end thereof discharging into a cross chute 42 which discharges by gravity into the lower end of the return elevator 43 which latter is suitably carried by the main frame of the machine and contains the elevator buckets 44 mounted on the endless belt 45. The upper end of the elevator discharges through the chute 46 into the hopper. A final inclined cleaning screen 47 is also carried by the lower front portion of the shoe, such screen having its upper end terminating adjacent the chute 42 and its lower end discharging from the machine.

I provide a series of'cross strips 48 which side at the upper end of thescreen 47 and V overlying the lower end of the pan 41. By putting in more strips 48, I will direct more of. the grain falling from the shoe to the screen 47 and will permit less to-be caught by the pan 41. Conversely by taking out one or'more of the strips 48, Ipermitthepan to catch more grain and the screen 47 to receive less.

The front of the machine frame supports a fan casing 49 of any approved type in which is mounted a fan or blower 50 carried by the fan shaft 51, provision being made in the usual manner for admitting more or less air through the casing to the fan. The fan is adapted to direct an upward and rearward air blast through the gang of screens and through the falling grain, such blowing light material and also raising the lighter grain such as oats from the screens to permit of the more effective separation.

The shaft 51 is supplied with a ,driving pulley 52 to which a driving belt (not shown) can be attached and it also carries a further pulley 53 which is connected by a belt 54 to a pulley 55 on the end of the roller shaft 6. The roller shaft carries also a pulley 56 which is connected by a cross shaft 57 to a pulley 58 secured to the elevator driving shaft 59, the arrangement being such that when the pulley 52 is driven, the elevator and feed roller are operated.

The shoe 18 is laterally oscillated and I provide means hereinafter described in detail whereby one can easily and quickly vary the number of oscillations in any given time.

The end of the fan shaft remote from the driving pulley is extended considerably beyond the main frame and on such end of the shaft, I feather a disc 60 which is controlled by an adjusting lever 61 pivotally carried by the frame, suitable well known means being utilized for releasably holding the leverin any adjusted position.

The front side of the machine frame supports rotatably a counter shaft 62 which has the front end thereof provided with a disc 63, the front face of which engages the periphery of the disc 60. The counter shaft is pressed continuously towards the disc 60 by a spring 64 secured permanently to one of the legs and having the lowermost end thereof pressing against the rear end of the counter shaft. The counter shaft carries an eccentric cam 65 which is connected by an will be obvious that the disc wheels are held frictionally in contact so that the fan shaft drives the counter shaft and consequently laterally oscillates the shoe and that one can easily and quickly vary the number of oscillations in any given time by'adjusting the lever 61 which will move the disc 60 radially counter shaft being greatest when the disc 60 is near the centre of the disc 63 and least when it is adjoining the periphery thereof.

When the machine is to be used, the grains to be cleaned are placed in the'hopper and the board 28 and plate 30, the plate feeding the mixed grains to the uppermost of the gang of screens. Separation will be effected in the usual manner by the gang of screens augmented by the action of the fan blast.

The desired grain such as wheat together with small seeds will pass through the gang of screens and will be passed downwardly over the screen 47 through which thesmall seeds pass and over which the wheat is dis charged. The larger grains including oats and a proportion of desired grainwill be deposited over the rear end of the lowermost screen of the gang onto the pan 41 and from the pan pass to the elevator where it is returned to the hopper for recleaning.

As before explained by inserting or withdrawing one or more of the strips 48, one can vary the amount of grain acted upon by the screen 47 and the insertion or removal.

of. the strips will be determined by experience and running conditions as will also the particular type of screens used in the gang and the angular position at which the said screens are set and the speed at which the counter shaft is driven.

What I claim as my invention is In a grain cleaning machine, the combination with a feed hopper having a discharge outlet at the bottom thereof, of a driven fluted roller extending lengthwise within the outlet, a plurality of gates hinged to the hopper at one side of the outlet, a cross shaft rotatably carried by the hopper, cranks extending downwardly from the cross shaft, springs interposed between the lower ends of the cranks and the gates and pressing the gates towards the rollers and manually operated means for turning the shaft and releasably fastening it in various turned positions.

Signed at Langdon, N. Dak. this 2nd day 7 i V of January, 1929.

JACOB SPENST.

in respect to the disc 63, the speed of the 

